Childcare

The past few decades have seen the rise in the number of young children in need of nonparental childcare. Much of this has been driven by changes in the world economy, which has resulted in an increasing number of women of working age employed outside the home. Many families find themselvesseeking nonparental care, and most children are cared for in private, unregulated care situations. When regulated early childhood education and care is available, most children benefit. Studies show that local and national economies also benefit from high-quality education and care. At the same time, some have found that nonparental infant care, if begun too early and for too long, comes with some increased risks to psychosocial development. For all other children, including and especially children ...